Jeremiah 11:12

It begins with the order to Jeremiah to rehearse the words of the covenant in the ears of the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Jeremiah 11:1, which covenant is described by the sanction of it; a curse in case of disobedience; and a promise of being their God, and bringing them into the good land, in case of obedience; and by the time when it was made, when the Israelites were brought out of Egypt, Jeremiah 10:3, which order, the prophet agreeing to, is repeated, Jeremiah 10:5 declaring the earnest protestation and exhortation of God to obey it, which they not observing, were threatened with the curses of it, Jeremiah 11:7, the present Jews doing as their forefathers had done, breaking the covenant, particularly by their idolatry, are threatened also with punishment they should not escape, Jeremiah 11:9 which is aggravated by a resolution to show no regard to their cries, Jeremiah 11:11, by the impotence of their idols to save them, though so numerous, Jeremiah 11:12, by forbidding the prophet to pray for them, Jeremiah 11:14, by their having no longer a place and protection in the house of God, because of their wickedness, Jeremiah 11:15, by comparing their former and present state together, having been as a beautiful and fruitful olive tree, but now burnt, and its branches broken, Jeremiah 11:16, next follows an account of a design of the men of Anathoth against the prophet, to take away his life, which he was ignorant of, till the Lord gave him knowledge of it, Jeremiah 11:17, w

11:11-17 Evil pursues sinners, and entangles them in snares, out of which they cannot free themselves. Now, in their distress, their many gods and many altars stand them in no stead. And those whose own prayers will not be heard, cannot expect benefit from the prayers of others. Their profession of religion shall prove of no use. When trouble came upon them, they made this their confidence, but God has rejected it. His altar shall yield them no satisfaction. The remembrance of God's former favours to them shall be no comfort under troubles; and his remembrance of them shall be no argument for their relief. Every sin against the Lord is a sin against ourselves, and so it will be found sooner or later.

Then shall the cities of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,.... That is, the inhabitants of the cities of Judah, as well as the inhabitants of the city of Jerusalem; the former being in distress through the enemy being in their land, as well as the latter besieged by him: go and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense; Baal, the queen of heaven, sun, moon, planets, and all the hosts of heaven, as in Jeremiah 44:15, these they should cry unto for help and deliverance in vain: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble; not yield them the least relief and comfort in their trouble, so far from saving them entirely from it.

Jeremiah 11:12-14 . Then shall the cities of Judah cry unto the gods, &c. — “When great calamities threaten men, their fears suggest all possible ways of seeking for succour. Thus, when the Jews found themselves forsaken of God, they betook themselves to idols, but found all such applications vain, and to no purpose: see 2 Chronicles 28:23 . For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, &c. — See note on Jeremiah 2:28 . Ye have set up altars to that shameful thing — Hebrew, בשׁת , bosheth, shame, so called, because it was what they had cause to be ashamed of, and what would certainly bring them to shame and confusion. See note on Jeremiah 3:24 . Therefore pray not thou for this people — See note on Jeremiah 7:16 .

Shall here signifieth will , and might as well have been so translated, denoting the hardness of the hearts of this people, whom affliction would not reduce to God; or rather the indicative mood is here put for the imperative, and the sense, Let the cities of Judah, & c., and the phrase taken ironically. So it agreeth with God’s answer to the people crying to him, Judges 10:14 , and what this prophet had before said, Jeremiah 2:28 . But, saith the prophet, they shall do them no good, then they shall understand their vanity in their superstition and idolatry, that they have bestowed a divine homage upon lies and vanities, and things able to do them no good, nor at all to profit them.

Because of the covenant broken, the Lord will bring on Judah and Jerusalem evil out of which they shall not come forth, i.e., not merely, from which they shall not escape safely, but: in which they shall find no way of rescue; for it in this calamity they cry to the Lord, He will not hear them. Nor will the gods whom they serve, i.e., the false gods, help them then. As to "as many as are," etc., see on Jeremiah 2:28 . "(The) Shame," i.e., Baal, as at Jeremiah 3:24 .

8 . But thou, thyself , shalt , etc.] The emphatic thou is necessary after the intrusion of the previous v . return ] If this be meant in a spiritual sense, the like does not elsewhere occur in Deut.; but is found in Isaiah 10:21 ; Isaiah 19:22 , Jeremiah 3:1 ; Jeremiah 3:7 ; Jeremiah 3:12 ; Jeremiah 3:22 ; Jeremiah 4:1 ; Jeremiah 15:19 ; Jeremiah 18:11 (= Jeremiah 35:15 ), Jeremiah 23:14 , Jeremiah 24:7 , Jeremiah 36:3 , Ezekiel 18:23 , etc. For the rest of this v erse see above Deuteronomy 15:5 , Deuteronomy 28:1 ; Deuteronomy 28:15 .

See other allegories, Isaiah 28:20; Amos 3:12; Isaiah 38:12; Jeremiah 11:16; 12:5; Ezekiel 16:3; Hosea 13:15 ; Ecclesiastes 14:3, (&c.) In the Old Testament you may find these allegories besides, Deuteronomy 32:13,15,22,32-33,41-42; 33:19-20,24-25; Judges 8:2 , and Judges 14:18; 1 Kings 12:11,14; 2 Kings 19:3; Job 4:10-11; 20:12 , (&c.,) Job 27:20 , (&c.,) Job 29:14, (&c.,) and Job 38:9-10; Psalms 23:1 , (&c.,) Psalms 51:8-9; 69:1-3; 75:8- 9; 80:8, (&c.,) Psalms 110:2-3; 123:3; Proverbs 3:8 , and Proverbs 9:1 , (&c.,) Ecclesiastes 11:1 , (&c.,) Isaiah 1:5-7,22; 66:6-7; 14:29; 30:33; 32:20; 36:6; 42:3; 45:8; 54:11-12; 55:1-2,12-13 and Isaiah 59:5-6; Jeremiah 4:11-12; 5:6; 6:28-30; 12:9; 50:17; Ezekiel 13:10 , (&c.,) Ezekiel 17:3 , (&c.,) Ezekiel 22:19 , (&c.,) Ezekiel 23:2 , (&c.,) Ezekiel 29:3 , (&c.,) Ezekiel 31:5; 32:3 , (&c.,) and Eze 34 . (&c.) In the New Testament, Matthew 3:10,12; 5:13; 7:3-6; 9:15 , (&c.,) Matthew 12:43, (&c.,) and Matthew 15:13; Luke 9:62; Romans 11:16-18 , (&c.,) and Romans 13:11-12; 1 Corinthians 3:6 , (&c.,) 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 , and 1 Corinthians 9:26-27; 2 Corinthians 3:2-3; 5:1 , (&c,) 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 , and 2 Corinthians 11:2; Galatians 4:19; 5:15; 6:8-9; Ephesians 6:11 , (&c.) The explication of all which, (at least for the most part) may be taken from our treatise of metaphors, that we shall leave them to be improved by the studious reader.

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